ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 545, 28 June 1909, Page 8

ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP.

-! NEW "ZEALAND ANIMALS PRAISED, '(fir H.;W Haji, Victobiah, . Sheej. Expebt.) '■ ''The Romney Marsh breed .is .gradually I working into a"good . pbsitidh,Vand, as ■ Jong' aV a boom is not .created'■"■for..;.them,. .they havo'a' good chance' of--proving 'of service: In the history of all breeds of Bheep there is a class of .breeder,' usually with plenty of capital;, who will take up a breed with a deal of enthusiasm, but with little knowledge- of ; the,,purpose .. of- the'-'.' particulai ; breed; Such' breeders.. as a rule, keep inein .true, enough' ho. pedigree, especially; with regard to such'points as colour of face, legs, j hoofs," and nose, shape of ears, and (where the.country, "encourages it) nice attractive !wool. But these points are only 1 whon ; coupled with a:well-made, "thick-set carcase.;. When a boom is on, there are always/some breeders who offer grade sheep.) as/purej'but .these" Bheep';aro '.not ,tp thought of :when''wishingstp';cp'mmenc6;a' ; per--| manent:nock,' or for stud work. . :: . Romney breeders; and- others about tospur-' chase, would:.do ; well to consider _ the aim ' thatjthe original breeders, had in,.yiew when they'"evolved this^breed; '.(for Rdmnpys were bred mainly,with, a yiew'tp. being.a mutton' breed'ef 'the best quality.'- At the same 'time)-theyi'wero, to a large extent,.,a grazing sheep,, having of ten'to be kept'on low, marshy-land,; until four-tooth, before being ; fattened. . Consequently they .were bred to growj a' r profitable fleece during this,,.;time., The xenditiohs 1, pf this' class' of' country 'also' demanded <a particularly good hoofed breed, and "those "that i stood" these conditions best ■and came, in. showing ,a.thick set .sturdy frame,, carrying. 1 -a''profitable - ''fleece,' >a'nd ih'owing no feet .were selected and bred ..from.; - ', As. a result ,'of .this, y the • Rom.ney is- a 'particularly hardy. Bheep', 1 -'.;-and: where; the. countfy ; ;is fairly healthy, he is' a yory. goed doer,. and is particularly hardy in dry autumns, and in winter. But once they begin- to .he' bred .hastily-'ifor numbers and pedigree 'only, then 'they will be found no 'better than any-other ordinary sheep.,-. ' '■ ''. ■-v i. . -.•'-■,,. ;

. : A typical 'Homney. should-possess, above all else, a full girth;,arid level foreqiiarter. As with all breeds/, tho.igoverning principle is .first to. acquire good -thriving a'bilities,'. ; and' this. is; attained (when the "country, is fairly healthy) by selecting good,shaped stud.sheep as'broad and full girthed asqah be found; and then' combining, style of fleece and other minor typical points. :,Good width-is mostly a .sign of good, constitutional vigour,; and this point,, when coupled with improvement of ■ tho'pastures, .and liberal 'feeding, -is. the' .best preventive towards' warding off such troubles.as worms' and'fluke.- " ;• i ' " , Good Itoraney. rams "cross'.well,with roomy merino ewes, lino comebacks, of first cross longwool-lnerinb ; ewes/especially;' the latter —for tho'Eomney is a.breed thaU compares .closely,; in both carcase and wool, to Lincolnmerino crossbreds. With graziers depending solely on good seasons and natural* pasture, lamb 3 from ;this'cross, if.'held over, will bo found very -profitable woolcutters'. '.'"'"'.-'"""■ There is,; at.the. present,time,-, somo.dis" cussipn as to the correct type of ißomnoys. Some breeders are selecting -arid : breeding from a longer stapled and more showy wool, typo tha.h; was thought' necessary by Eng-' lish breeders,'.and, in,so doings/must' run a risk of, not being; liblo to maintain fhe highest standard of form. For the Romnoy, ".if. selected arid bred in this iclimato'to ; the' longer stapled, and more crimped character of wool, is practically being bred. back . to what \English.breeders ' bred ,partially away from—tho English Leicester type:' .Already wc find many pedigreed Romnoys snowing tho' English Leicester, 'wool; having great length and lustre. 'T'ruo Romney wool is medium, in grade, and,".'jdemi-lustrd' in colour. Wavinass, or character,-as it is usually called, is desirable in a young, well-bred, healthy sheep, but, iwith ewes rearing lambs, aged ewes, and rams that have bum to heavy

sorvico, - this., wavy. .character.,.,,,or crimp,, is rarely Been, and, in tuese, want of character is. pardonable. lAJthough, lustro p itself is created ; to a great extent, by'tlio country slicep aro bred'in,'it'is-usual'to Rpmncys showing the most lustro and length of! staple, a tendency, to the thinner and rather longer , ear. ' This,' when considered together with lengthy, stylo of fleece, is the first indication of drifting from true type. ■,';A danger bur best Rbmney breeders Havo tojface, is that flock Romneys are too easily Rains, by neat Lincoln or English Leicester sires, from selected haU-bred lon'gwool-meriho ; ewesj 'resemble Romneys so very closely; that it needs a fair judge of she«p to decide, at times what they' really are, and the majority, of our lamb-raising farmers do not,yet know sufficient in.sheep matters to discriminate for themselves;- Pure Romneys should have a fulllevel girth, oven .when in low condition, broad level shoulders [which spread ,tho. hand when. spanning it, loin and hind-quarter as nearly as possible . in'. proportion,.' shbrt, : i thick neck,. with pro•portionately wide-head, short, broad muzzle (hot sniped ,nosed)', giving, plenty room, for wide, sturdy teeth., Hoofs should be jet black, arid, in size, proportionate to',tho bone, hair on tho legs should bo short, and a',' clear, \white, denoting hard bone, which bone shoijld-be, in weight, proportionate to the carcase, whether rara.or.ewo.. .Ears should be on the > short side,'thick and mel-, low, and covered with' ;Soft, white hair.'.- Tho gi'uzzle' should be dark, and the face should b6,a?clear whitej not the Boft white of,the merino; nor tho bluish white of some of the 'Englishi; Leicestors: and-Lincolns./'.iln' choosing a stud Rotnriey siro, : a lengtiy level back, - with absence ,of ;high, hard wither, good point at brisket, full, behind the arm, good middle, full flank, 'good leg' of mutton (iiot-;.too coarse in the. breech), well, filled in (behind, are'all- additional •.: points to. be sdiight- for. . 'Ini fleeceVpoints, a,'.medium grade of attractive 'wool, : df fair length, and medium density only,' as well and evenly covered down the' foro'arm, thigh, and underneath, as can be- attained without neglecting carcase'qualities,, as well as a neat top,Unot, is sufficient, v.'/r .-'■',- '■ .■; -' : : , .